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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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###@¤§:-,¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ §§ ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ §§ ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ ------- § § ------- ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:
§:-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-:§
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
##@¤§:-,¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨,-:§¤@##
###@¤§:-,¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨,-:§¤@###
##@¤§:-,¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨,-:§¤@##
#@¤§:-,¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨,-:§¤@#
@¤§:-,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,-:§¤@
¤§:-,¨¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨¨,-:§¤
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